16

“I think you’re overreacting,” Emerson said, sliding the tall, cold glass down the oak bar in her direction. “So his CO was there and you almost did something stupid. It happens. He obviously hadn’t expected that either but you managed. Crisis averted. Not sure why you’re still so worked up over it.”

Kat leaned forward across the bar. “I knew it. I knew that night I saw you with him—there was so much heat between the two of you, I was sweating.”

Vivien rolled her eyes at her friends.

Em and Kat had started as a hookup and now they were a “thing” apparently. Vivien supposed couplehood worked for some, but not for her, it would seem.

“It was too good to be true. Something was bound to happen to derail the whole thing anyways.”

“That’s the thing,” Em broke in, taking a long swallow of her fruity cocktail before clarifying. “Nothing actually happened, Viv. Except you psyching yourself out for no reason.”

“Sounds to me like someone was getting too close, so another someone found an escape clause,” Kat added. “And here I was going to ask you to return his jumper cables.”

Em smiled proudly. “I finally convinced her to buy a new car and it came with a set.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was having drinks with the Chase Fisk fan club,” Vivien grumbled.

“And I didn’t realize you were the type to take an easy out,” Emerson pressed. “I mean, what the hell, Viv? So his boss stopped by his office at an inopportune time? You know what Jen would say about this?”

Since Jen was always the risk taker in their group, Vivien could only imagine.

“She’d say,” Emerson continued, “that you should’ve waited in that equipment closet and climbed that mountain of man meat like a jungle gym. Or, you know, something equally perverse. But in this case, I think you need to channel some Jen.”

Vivien took a drink of her own beer and shook her head. “Easy for you to say. Well, you and fictional Jen. But it’s not just my ass on the line here. It’s his too. And he has a lot more to lose than I do.”

Emerson and Kat exchanged a look Vivien didn’t appreciate.

When Emerson spoke, her voice was softer than before. “I get that, Viv. I do. But don’t you think that’s his decision to make? I mean it’s his choice if he wants to take that risk. Apparently he thought you were more important than his military career. I feel like that’s significant enough to at least go talk to the guy.”

Kat’s eyes brightened under the glow of the bar lights. “You know, now that I think of it, this is super romantic. It’s like a student-teacher forbidden-romance-type thing. Which is also super-hot. And honestly, from what I know, he’s a good guy. And, um, you probably don’t want to hear this, but he and his friends have been coming in here for a while now. There’s not exactly a shortage of interested females where’s he’s concerned.”

“Oh, so should I be worried he’ll replace me, and jump back into bed with him ASAP before he finds another warm body? Please.”

“No,” Kat said slowly. “What I meant was, he could’ve had his pick. So if his pick was a woman who could’ve destroyed his career over the many others who were fair game, he obviously thought she was worth it.”

Vivien slid her empty glass aside and propped her elbows on the bar so she could rub her temples.

Adulting was freaking hard. This was why she focused on work and didn’t complicate her life with relationship drama.

But her friends had a point. Several good points actually.

She was punishing Chase for something that wasn’t his fault at all, something they knew they might have to deal with at some point, and something both of them had actually handled quite well.

She dug in her purse for her phone and pulled it out with the intention of texting him to say she was sorry and to ask if could they talk soon.

But there were several unread messages from him detailing his disapproval of how she’d up and ditched him. The last one said, I won’t hold my breath waiting to hear from you. Guess you’ll call if you need an orgasm or two. Take care.

Judging from some of the grammatical and typographical errors in the string of texts and the fact that it was nearing in on midnight on a Friday, she assumed he was trashed.

He’d better be—or he’d better have a brain tumor that explained his uncharacteristic behavior—otherwise she was going to kick his ass.

“Kat,” Vivien bit out, “I’m going to need those jumper cables.”

***

Vivien pulled up to the off base housing where Chase lived with the two guys he’d been with the night they met. They’d driven past the compact row of condos before, but she’d never been inside. She wasn’t sure she was going inside tonight unless he opened the door with “I’m so sorry. I’m a complete and total jackass of epic proportions” or something along those lines.

She grabbed the cables and made her way to his front door.

She knocked. Hard. Then she laid on the doorbell.

Roommates be damned. They could be mad for all she cared.

The more she read Chase’s asshole messages, the madder she became.

“Hold your damn horses,” came a muffled voice from the other side of the door. Chase’s voice. Slurring his words.

When the door opened, he stood there, well, sort of stood. More like swayed on his feet.

Vivien gaped at his disheveled form. He would be handsome no matter what just because God and DNA had been overly generous when it came to him. But he looked like hell. Vivien told him so.

“You look like hell, Corporal. And here I was coming to—”

“Strangle me with jumper cables?”

“Something like that.” Vivien pushed past him into the small but comfortably quaint living area. With its well-worn brown leather furniture and lack of decor on the walls—the place screamed bachelor pad. But it was clean at least, minus a pizza box and a bottle of bourbon on the kitchen table.

“You’re here because you’re mad,” Chase mumbled as he shut the door with a soft click. “At me.”

“Damn straight I am.” She held up her phone. “Who says that shit to someone? To anyone, much less someone they’re . . .”

Chase had looked notably apologetic until she trailed off. Anger with a sharpness that matched her own ire glinted in his gaze. “Someone they’re what, Viv? Fucking? Or wait, that’s past tense, right? Because you dis-a-fucking-peared on me. Who does that kind of shit to someone?”

She fisted her hands at her sides, wanting desperately to strike another human being for the first time in her life.

“I was trying to protect you, you arrogant, stubborn ass. Your career, Chase, everything you’ve worked for, could be taken from you because of me. So excuse the fuck out of me for trying not to get your ass kicked out of the United States Army.”

“Did I ask you to protect me, Private? I sure as hell don’t recall asking for you to watch my six. I told you if anything happened, I’d handle it.”

“And I told you that I didn’t want to do anything to hurt you. Though now I am seriously considering chucking this bottle of bourbon at your head.”

Chase smirked at her. “Go for it. If it will make you feel better.”

She lifted the bottle by the neck, glared hard at him, and took a long, deep pull of liquid. Despite the burn at the back of her throat, it was smooth and not unwelcome.

Chase stepped closer until he was within reaching distance. “I was going to offer you a drink, but sure, help yourself.”

She wiped her mouth in the most unladylike way possible. “Thank you. I will.”

“So you came here to yell at me and drink my booze. What else can I do for you, Private?”

Vivien narrowed her eyes, keeping them level with his bare chest. She stepped forward, placing both hands on his heated skin.

“First, you can apologize for sending me rude, drunken text messages.”

“I’m sorry,” he offered without hesitation. “I missed you. I was angry and intoxicated. Still no excuse, but I am sorry.”

She reached up and ran her thumb slowly across his full bottom lip. She’d missed that bottom lip, missed sucking it, licking it, and feeling it move sensually against her own mouth.

“Second, you can accept my apology in return. I’m sorry I dipped out on you like what we had didn’t matter. I panicked. It was a dick move and I regret it.”

Chase’s eyes darkened, lust swirling in them as they met hers. “I accept.”

When she said nothing else, he arched an eyebrow as if to say “is that all?”

Vivien swallowed hard. “Third, sober up so I don’t feel like I’m taking advantage of you in your inebriated state.”

Chase balked. “Taking advantage of me?”

“Makeup sex, Corporal. Surely you’re familiar with it.”

Chase lifted her off the ground, gripping her ass hard with both hands as she wrapped her legs around his waist. “I think I need a refresher course.”

Vivien giggled against his mouth. “Well, well. Guess I get to be your instructor for a change.”